All I Ask Of You
by Zeke Rocks Hardcore
Summary: Nora, the cousin of Bella Swan, moves in with Bella and Charlie and slowly falls in love with Jasper, causing trouble for all of the Cullens. More trouble erupts after a persuasive and dangereous vampire secretly invades Forks... looking for Nora.
1. The Beginning of One Heck of a Story

Forks wasn't really as bad as it had seemed. Sure the weather was terrible almost everyday, and the temperatures were never as satisfying as they were in New Mexico, but that didn't mean that the conditions were unlivable. No, Forks was just another boring, bland, and unexciting town. It was also my newest home.

You see, my father had died a while back after my seventh birthday due to the malaria disease which he had picked up in Africa on a business trip. My father loved to travel then. It's how he had eventually met my mother. They had worked for the same company then, and after a long three months of dating, they got married and had me. We managed well after my father's passing, but that didn't mean that we didn't think of him often afterwards. I didn't really get to know him because he was away so much, but then again I didn't know my mother much either on the account of her traveling as well.

It was just my mother and I after my father's death, and we had to continually uproot our life as soon as we had gotten settled just so we could live in another city around America. My mother's work was nerve-racking because of our constant moving, and because of it, I had never really begun to make any friends. After the first five moves, I just stopped trying, and in a matter of ten years, my mother and I had lived in England, Germany, France, Australia, and eleven different states within the United States. Sure I got to see things most people never get to see in their entire lives, but was I truly happy because of it? Of course not! Could I ever tell my mother that? Of course not!

In the middle of the night, my mother came back from her work with a fake smile and her hands full of Chinese take-out because she never had time to cook. I knew it was coming. I knew her just too well to not know what was coming. We had to move again.

All over again.

Sure enough, my mother broke the news as we ate dinner that she would be stationed in Australia for the second time. I nodded, giving her the same old speech.

"I'll make due. It'll be great. It's alright. Really, Mom. _Really_," I assured her just like I had every other recent time. However, this time she said something else that I wasn't expecting. She gave me the option of moving in with my Uncle Charlie, someone in my family whom I hadn't seen since I was seven, at my father's funeral.

_Uncle Charlie? _

I asked her why I wasn't given this option before this move, and she said that it was because she would be in Australia for more than a year. And I was seventeen now.

Okay, so we had moved around a lot, but we had rarely lived someplace for more than a year. I was stunned. I didn't have to pretend to be happy anymore. I could be… myself. As long as I went to Uncle Charlie's, that is. Then there was also the burning question of how I would deal with my mother being gone for an entire year. I assumed that it wouldn't be much different than it was now, seeing as I only saw her in the wee hours of the morning and late at night. I thought about it and finally gave her my decision.

We had cried, hugged, and everything else mothers and their daughters do before they put them on planes across the country, but I was actually happy that I could be myself for once.

Just for once…

My plane arrived at a Washington airport, and I regretted that I hadn't brought a jacket as my carry-on item. The chills were terrible, more terrible than they were at my mountain-side home in Angel fire, New Mexico.

I met my Uncle Charlie inside the airport, and he gave me an awkward hug, seeing as we really hadn't spoken two words to each other. Really, I had never said a word to this man. I just knew that he was family, and after ten years, I was dying for some family. He smiled sort of shyly and spoke in a familiar voice.

"Nora! You look so- grown up," he said, really not sure what to say. He had said every distant relative's stereotypical phrase. I smiled softly and gave him another hug. He straightened himself up and coughed a little, unsure of what I was like.

After clearing his throat he spoke again.

"That's Bella over there. You know her," he said, leading me three steps behind him. He muttered something as he stepped back. It sounded an awful lot like: _At least I think you know her… _

"I'm so glad to meet you!" she exclaimed happily, taking me into a much bigger hug than Uncle Charlie had. She smiled, and I knew I would be very happy here. Two people very much like me…

"And this is Edward," she said, pulling someone close to her. A marble hand came from nowhere and shook my hand. I looked up and almost backed into poor Uncle Charlie. Was I actually looking at what I was looking at? He was beautiful! I didn't remember Uncle Charlie having a boy, too. He sure didn't have any of Uncle Charlie's features, though. Not that Uncle Charlie or Bella were ugly or anything, but Edward's features looked unique. They were- rather heart-stopping.

"My boyfriend," she explained. He smiled faintly, grabbing her hand. He looked nice enough but _he _was _Bella's _actual _boyfriend_? No way… This brings me back to my next point- I had never had a boyfriend either. I was seventeen and was apparently still looking for my prince charming. Bella had already found hers and she was only a year older than I was.

I couldn't stop staring at him, and his golden eyes were looking back at me- but yet they weren't. It was odd, actually. I knew that he was looking at me, but it felt like he was looking _in_ me. As if he was reading me or something.

"Okay, so off to the car," Uncle Charlie said, clapping his hands once and grabbing my bags to speed things along. I shook out of my daze and blinked, looking away quickly from Bella's boyfriend.

Uncle Charlie led us to his police car- Wait, what? His police car? Mom never mentioned that my very own uncle was a policeman. I got in and Bella gave me a warm smile, obviously knowing what I was thinking. He was her father, after all.

Uncle Charlie got in the driver's seat and as I was about to get in front seat, he stopped me.

"Not to be rude or anything, but would you mind if Bella sat in the front?" he asked, smiling hopefully. Ah. He was probably the overprotective dad type that made sure his little girl was away from malicious boyfriends all the time. What were they going to do in the backseat, anyway? Have children? I cracked up inside my head, nodding and replying that it wasn't a problem.

Bella rolled her eyes at her father, smiling at me. She had her conversation with Uncle Charlie in low whispers about 'independence' and Edward was trying to keep himself from hysterics. He pressed his mouth together to keep from laughing, but I could tell that he was definitely on the verge.

The way to Uncle Charlie's house was loud on Bella and her father's part, but it was entirely too quiet for Edward and I. I mean sure, Bella was his girlfriend, but I couldn't be that bad to talk to, could I? He said something once about the rain, and I smiled, nodding. The rain was pouring as soon as we hit the Forks city limits. I didn't mind rain. It was common in New Mexico too- but in the form of snow. I used to walk in it when I was little, and I still did then. I guess it was a habit that I never grew out of. I looked at the population sign and widened my eyes. Whoa! Did people die around here often, or was this place just a ghost town? I had never seen a number so low on a population sign before.

Yes, I was too right for my own good. Besides Edward's almost unnatural beauty, Forks would be a boring, bland, and unexciting town.

* * *

So we had arrived at Uncle Charlie's house, and as we got out, Edward stood next to a shiny silver Volvo that must've been his. He kissed Bella lightly on the cheek and smiled.

"I'll be back later. You and Nora should get to spend some time with each other," he said, not looking at me. My skin prickled as he said my name. He was taken, but hey, a girl could dream.

"Okay. I'll see you later, then," she said, waving to him as he drove away. How close were they? They must've been through a lot together.

"Sorry about the car ride, Nora. My dad can be a little…-"she started.

"Protective?" I finished for her, and smiled as she laughed.

"Exactly. It's either the dad or the cop in him that makes him act that way. I love him, either way," she said, walking to the door with me following behind her. Uncle Charlie had already put my things upstairs.

"Girls, I just got a page from the station. I'll have to go. I'm really sorry, Nora. I'll have to catch up with you afterwards!" he said, rubbing his forehead.

"Oh, it's okay. I know how demanding work can be," I said. _Just look at my mother. _

He smiled and rushed upstairs to get in his uniform only to rush back downstairs to leave. Bella and I said goodbye as he left, and that left us to sit around and talk about our life stories.

I found out that Bella and I were alike in a lot of ways. She had never really had a boyfriend before Edward, and she was naturally quiet, but not painfully so. We were both fair skinned, and we were about the same height and weight. I was slim, but I knew how to eat in large quantities if I had to. A girl's gotta eat. At least I think that's how the saying goes…

Even though we were both alike, we were also different. I had wavy auburn hair, contrary to her straight chocolate brown. Our eyes were different too, mine being a light blue with a brush of gray. Then, there was the obvious issue of ages, in which I was a year younger. I'd been told before by numerous people that I spoke much older than I seemed. It was flattering, but it also felt like I was growing up too fast. To put it frank, I didn't want to grow up. I was happier when I was littler- back when my Dad was still alive.

Anyway, so we got on the topic of where I had been over the years, and Bella couldn't get enough of my stories. I told her about the time when I got lost in France and almost drowned off the shores of England. She listened attentively and laughed when she was supposed to. Our personalities were alike too, but I would say that I was without a doubt a bit more outgoing.

Definitely.

At around six o'clock, five hours after we had gotten to Uncle Charlie's house, we heard a knock at the door. Bella got up excitedly and smiled, looking through the peep-hole. She smiled deeply again and opened up the door, hugging someone.

It was Edward of course.

But he wasn't alone…

Standing to the side of him was someone else, a tall boy with blonde hair and eyes like Edward's. He was pale, but not in an unattractive way. He had a hint of purple under his eyes, but it only added to his amount of beauty. He looked sort of like Edward in those ways- but he was much more attractive to me. As soon as he entered the room, my heart fluttered, but I was suddenly calm, as though a wave of pure comfort had washed over me. What was that? I shook it away to stare at the new boy as I had stared at Edward in the car and at the airport. However I looked at the new boy with more interest. I guess I hadn't looked at Edward the same way because he was already taken. I wondered if this boy was too…

"Oh, Nora, sorry for ignoring you for a couple of seconds. This is Jasper, Edward's brother, and Alice, Edward's sister. I told you about them earlier," she said, referring to our conversation earlier and pointing to them. I hadn't even noticed the girl. I was too wrapped up in Jasper's beauty to become aware of her own uncanny features. She had short black hair and eyes- _Like Edward's and Jasper's… _What was it with their gold eyes? I'd never seen something so capturing. It was even weirder because while talking with Bella, she had said that they were all adopted. If they were all adopted- how did they have the same eye color? Strange… Maybe the other two of Edward's siblings were different.

Bella led Edward to the couch and they sat down, Edward a bit more rigid than he was that morning. Jasper walked up to me in his black shirt which was tight enough to show off his deeply set chest muscles. He wore jeans fit for a model. Maybe he was a model… I marveled at the thought.

"Nice to meet you, Nora," Jasper whispered- or spoke. I was too busy paying attention to the fantasy in my head in which Jasper was shirtless on a beach and running towards me.

"Same here," Alice said flippantly. She smiled and took my hand in an enthused shake. They both looked almost worried, and I could tell that they were trying to hide it. Edward, Alice, and Jasper were very questionable, but I was mostly concentrated on Jasper. There was something about him that drew me closer. Something odd- and I loved it.


	2. She Didn't See That Coming, Did She?

I regretfully looked away from Jasper and decided to check out the room that I would be sleeping in. I guess the others weren't paying attention to me, because they hadn't said anything as I drifted slowly up the stairs. I actually found it funny that for being in the house, I hadn't seen my room in a whole five hours. The hallway was strangely familiar, but I knew that I had never been in the house before this, so it was impossible for me to be thinking that way.

I peered into one room and I knew that it was Uncle Charlie's just because of the sheer messiness of everything- just like a man. The bed was unmade and there were clothes strewn about the floor in every which way. I smiled, thinking that the messy room fit Uncle Charlie's personality very well.

As I made my way further into the hallway, I saw one bathroom- to which my jaw dropped in utter horror, and two closed doors, one which had to be a closet. I crossed my fingers, hoping that one would secretly be another bathroom so I wouldn't have to share, but to my dismay, it wasn't so. I closed the disappointing coat closet and moved to the other unopened door at the front of the hall. I put my hand around the knob and turned it, walking into a fairly old-fashioned looking room. Bella probably hadn't redecorated, seeing as the walls in the room was a plain white and the beds- one was for me- were adorned with handmade quilts. In between the beds there was a lampshade dressed with pink lace- which was _so_ eighties.

I smiled. It wasn't anything compared to my room back in New Mexico, even if I had only had it for three months, but it was okay for now.

My eyes weren't attracted to the beds or the walls, as boring as they were, but they were quickly averting to a large window at the front of the room. The blinds were shut, but I could hear rain pattering calmly against the window pane. I walked over, opening the blinds to reveal the foreign green city beneath me. The sky was grey, but not stormy, and there was no thunder rumbling in the distance. I was smiling, unable to keep my excitement under control. Okay, so maybe this was the town that would open me up. Maybe I could finally be able to express myself as I wanted to. Sure- the town was boring- but maybe I would be able to liven it up a bit.

I laughed- out loud, actually- and turned around, walking to my luggage that was in a pile in the corner of the room. I opened the closet, and smiled for the hundredth time as I saw that Bella had cleared a section of the closet out for me. The dresser was also free for simple garments as the the bottom two drawers cleaned out.

I was only upstairs for about thirty minutes before I heard it.

"Alice!" I heard Bella cry. There was much noise afterwards, and I dropped the clothes that I was about to put away, rushing downstairs. As I met the bottom stair, I saw Alice on the floor, sitting up because she was being supported by Jasper. Her eyes looked clouded over, and she held a hand up to her face, a strange expression covering her like a shade.

"Is she alright?" I asked worriedly, wondering what going on. Bella exchanged glances with Edward and he nodded, tending to his sister and letting Bella come to me.

"Yeah. She's just- running low on sugar or something," Bella said way too quickly. She was _so _lying.

"Are you sure, Bella?" I asked, wanting to walk over and help. The rain outside turned into a heavier downpour, and this time I actually did hear thunder rumble through the sky outside.

"Positive," she said, wincing as the thunder split through the air. Alice was looking a lot better, and she snapped out of whatever she was going through rather quickly. Jasper helped her into a chair and Edward whispered some kind of question in her ear.

"Oh, good. See, Nora? Edward, give her something sweet from the pantry," Bella commanded falsely. "I'll uh- Help you unpack," she said, looking relieved at Edward. She mouthed something to him and led me upstairs. I knew she was keeping something from me. They were all keeping something from me.

* * *

While we were upstairs, Bella tried to change the subject by talking about my clothes. She smiled at my fashion choice. I guess you could say that I was trendy, but I had clothes from so many different places that I kind of designed my own style.

"Nora, that jacket's from Paris?" Bella asked, looking at the tag. I didn't fall for her trap and ignored her question.

"Bella, Alice is hurt isn't she? Sick, maybe?" I asked her, trying to pry it from her.

"No! She's just-"Bella started, but stopped as Edward opened the door. The whole room seemed to have lit up.

"Bella, can I see you outside for a moment?" he asked her, looking grave. He tried to hide it with the hint of a smile, but it was completely fake and I didn't buy it. I wasn't born yesterday, folks!

"Yeah. One moment, Nora," Bella said, excusing herself out of the room with Edward. They shut the door.

Should I listen in on their conversation?

_Of course you should! _

Alrighty, then.

I got up and moved quickly to the door, pressing my ear against the painted wood. They were talking really low.

"Okay, so what did Alice See?" I heard Bella ask. She sounded just as worried as all of them.

"Nora," Edward said simply. "With another vampire," he finished, his voice fading slightly. He sounded almost- angry.

My knees buckled, and I felt much colder than I should've been. Did Edward just say… _vampire?_ Vampire?! As in blood-sucking beast!? Okay, so her boyfriend was insane… maybe she was helping him work through it slowly.

"Shh! She'll hear you!" Bella hissed. "And how do you know that he was a vampire?" she asked, sounding scared.

"I can tell, Bella. The way Alice discribed him made Jasper and I know that he was like us," he said, trying to calm her.

"What do you mean by _with _when you said that she was 'with' him?" she asked after a while, softer than before. I really had to concentrate if I was to hear properly.

"_With_ as in… in danger," he said, probably through gritted teeth.

My eyes widened, and I could feel myself backing away from the door. For an instant I thought that maybe what he was saying was entirely true… If he meant what I heard him say, his clairvoyant sister saw me in danger with another vampire.

Wait, he said- _another_ vampire, didn't he?! Was Edward a vampire? Wait- was Edward's… _family_ full of… _vampires_? No… maybe Bella and Edward were the only vampires! I was so confused.

_No, no, no. That's entirely impossible, Nora. Vampires? You? Danger? In this town? Are you kidding yourself? Maybe you're going through one of those hallucinations. You know, the kind where your mind makes up things to make your life more interesting. _

"**_Well, if you think about it, it's not… that impossible- is it?" _**

I looked around, scared to death. I stopped thinking and tried to process what had just happened. There was a voice… inside of my head. It was a- male's voice. I heard it just as if someone was talking to me out loud.

_Of-course it is…, _I tried to think back to the person. Then I realized that I was probably just as insane as crazy old Edward. You cannot converse with beings inside of your head- it's just not possible.

"**_You'll just have to figure it out for yourself, then. Later…" _**

"Honey… you're losing it," I whispered to myself, hitting my head with my hand.

Bella came back in the room, looking frazzled. She smiled at me, and Edward stood behind her, looking over my shoulder.

"Nora- Alice is fine. I was right. It was just her sugar," Bella said, holding Edward's hand.

Edward did it again.

His eyes looked at me for a moment, but it felt more like he was looking into me, just like he had in the airport. His golden eyes became wide and shocked as he turned his attention back to Bella.

"She knows" he whispered impossibly, and Bella froze.


	3. So Close

"Nora… just- please listen to me," Bella started, her hands shaking. Edward held her back, but she was free to say whatever she wanted.

The sensation started at my fingertips and slowly worked its way up to my chest, sending strange signals throughout my body. The fear rose in my neck, and tiny black dots covered my vision as I fell over, blacking out. Bella shouted and I heard Edward get on his knees in front of me. Everything was blocked out by silence.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of more whispering and found out that I was on the couch downstairs.

_Joy… _

"I can't believe this just happened," Bella was saying to Edward in a distressed tone. She sounded a bit worried, but mostly concerned. I was sure that she didn't know I was awake.

"Look, we can just tell her that we were pulling a prank or something. It's going to work out. I mean- she wouldn't actually believe that I'm a vampire, anyway," Edward reasoned, but even he doubted his own strategy.

"Yeah- maybe. But what if it doesn't work out, Edward? She knows that you, Alice, Jasper, and all the rest of you are vampires now, and she hasn't even met the other four!" Bella said, words spilling from her mouth in a dramatic tone.

"We're going to trust her," I heard someone say, his voice sort of natural sounding.

"Are you serious, Jasper? How well do you think that will work out? She'll tell everyone…" Edward said tensely. Okay, I now knew how much Edward trusted me…

"No she won't. Look, she'll wake up later, and we're just going to have to live with the fact that she knows. She's probably been through enough, so how much sense does it make for us to lie to her on top of everything else?" Jasper said, sounding kind of defensive. I'd never pictured Jasper saying anything like that…

"Jasper, what do you know about any of this? You've been a vampire for how long compared to me?" Edward growled, starting to get angry. I wish I could see them as they talked.

"Edward, calm down…" Bella whispered, trying to get rid of the tension.

"Look… I'm just saying that we could give her a chance. She'll-"Jasper started, rudely interrupted.

"Jasper, shut up!" Edward said, a different tone in his voice. It was more worried now. I heard him get up.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help! You should learn how to-"Jasper said, getting angry this time. He was cut off yet again.

"No, Jasper, I mean shut up and take care of Alice! I think she's Seeing something again," Edward said, walking over to Alice- or at least that's where I thought he was walking.

"Oh…- man..." I heard Jasper sigh fiercely, walking over to her as well.

After a minute or two spent in silence I knew that Alice had come back from her vision because she was shouting at Jasper.

"I can't believe you, Jasper!" she said, angrily, and I heard her slap him. She calmed down and then started crying softly, leaving abruptly. I heard a car start and it sped up around the corner of the street.

What exactly had she seen…? Was Jasper committing a crime or something?

"What the heck just happened?" I heard Jasper ask, and then he stopped himself. "You know what, just forget it," he said, leaving as well, probably running after Alice.

"I am so confused… What about you?" I heard Bella ask breathlessly. Edward suddenly answered her, sounding concerned.

"I don't know… Bella, I better go after them. Will you be okay alone with Nora?" he asked. Oh, what, was I some kind of helpless child now or something? Stupid Edward…! But he made up his faults with his looks, I couldn't deny that.

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Just tell me what she Saw tomorrow or something," Bella said, wanting to know so badly. Edward replied with a quick 'okay' and I heard them kiss –yuck- as he left, leaving me alone with Bella.

_The Liar_.

I got up just after he left and stared at Bella, demanding answers. My face said it all.

"Well?" I asked, my hands crossed and my eyes low with fear of what she was about to say.

"I want to tell you that it's just nothing…" Bella said, sounding lost. "But I don't know if I can," she said. I guess she wasn't going to hide it after all.

"So tell me truthfully, Bella… Is Edward and his family- or whatever-, are they all- vampires, or something?" I asked, my voice cracking. She looked down and slightly nodded.

"Nora, we all trust you. You can't tell anyone. If Charlie or anyone finds out all of them will be in danger. It's a lot more complicated than you know…" Bella said, looking sad. Her face fell, and I saw deep emotion in her eyes.

"We have time, Bella. I'll be here in Forks for a while," I said, deeply annoyed by her tone. "Explain it to me," I said after a while of no one saying anything.

"I can't tell you any more than I already have," she finally said. "Edward should at least be here when we talk about that," she said, not looking at me.

"Whatever…" I said, walking upstairs. I went from completely trusting Bella to not being able to trust her at all. Who did she think she was hiding something like this from me? I mean, I wouldn't come out and say it either if I was in the situation, but did she think I wouldn't eventually figure it out? My anger spilled over my fear and I knew that I would just have to be alone for a while. If Bella couldn't tell me any more about the vampires, she could say goodbye to me for the night.

* * *

I made it into our room and sat on my bed.

Okay, so I guess I was in danger or something. I wasn't exactly trembling in fear, but I wasn't calm either. My embarrassing faint had taken care of that, unfortunately. The rain was soothing outside as it began to lighten up again. It must've been about ten o'clock.

**_"Why don't you just leave?" _**the seductive voice that I had heard earlier asked me.

_Oh no, not you again… _

_**"It sounds tempting doesn't it?"**_ he asked again, ignoring my comment.

_Oddly enough, yes, but that doesn't mean I'm actually going to do it…_

_**"That girl you're related to won't even notice. Just take a quick walk outside, babe. It'll remind you of your old city in- New Mexico, was it?" **_

_Yeahh… Okay, one, don't call me babe, and two, definitely do not mention my old home. _

Truth is, this guy's voice sounded even more alluring now that it ever did earlier that night. Besides, the thrills inside my stomach after he called me _babe_ were quite nice. I could hear him talk about New Mexico all day.

**_"Look, I'm just trying to help you out. I'll leave it up to you, Nora. I'll be outside waiting at the end of your street by the forest if you change your mind. See ya later- babe," _**he said, and I heard him chuckle before his voice ended throughout my mind.

Man… was I insane or what? I was actually talking back to the voices in my head- The provocative voices. I didn't even know if the voice was real! But I was going to find out.

Before I knew it I was already lifting the window and stepping out onto the roof. I had to see this guy. First, I would ask him how he knew who I was, and then I'd talk to him for a while. Maybe I'd actually get my first trusted friend in Forks.

I climbed down to the ground and brushed myself off, putting my hair in a pony tail. The rain was just a groggy mist now, and some of it had converted into a fog. I looked at the end of the street and saw a "Do Not Pass Beyond This Point" sign.

I'm not really sure what was wrong with me, but I've always been the challenging type. I do things to please myself, and no one else unless I'm being polite or something like that. This "Do Not Pass" stuff was just making me more eager in meeting this boy.

As I got as close to the forest as I could without going in, I looked into it carefully. My eyes adjusted to the dark, and I saw something move.

"Hello?" I asked, my face pale from the sheer nerves of it all.

The voice I heard was not one that I was expecting.

"Nora? Is that you?" I heard behind me, and I turned around quickly.

Instead of the alluring voice that called me to the forest, I was looking deep into the eyes of Jasper- whose voice was even better. My heart fell, and it rose again.

"Yeah," I said, looking at Jasper sort of awkwardly. "Are you the voice?" I asked, knowing what his reply would be. He looked over my shoulder and then back at me.

"What- voice?" he asked, beckoning me across the street. I guess I was wrong… I looked at the forest and saw some of the leaves bristle deeply into the lush. Whoever was there was gone now.

"Never mind," I said, checking my hair while he wasn't looking.

"I really screwed up tonight," he whispered after a while. Why was he talking to me so easily…? I was beginning to think that he was just being nice. His eyes were bright and aware of everything around him, and as he looked back at me again I felt suddenly under complete ease. I could talk to him about anything.

"It wasn't your fault. Thanks for sticking up for me, anyway," I said shyly, the calm feeling receding after a while. He couldn't see me blushing in the rain- oh wait… he was a vampire.

Oh wait! He was a _vampire!_

My body tensed up, and I saw him look at me almost sadly.

"Sorry…" he said distantly, probably knowing what I was feeling right now. He said he was younger, vampire wise, than Edward- so was he as experienced in controlling his- hunger?

"It's alright." I whispered back slowly, trying to act calm. I thought I felt him almost smile.

"I just thought it was unfair. Edward thinks he knows everything- but he's really just trying to cover up his own insecurities," Jasper said as we rounded the block. He led me to his car- a Mercedes.

"Nice car," I said, wrapping my arms around myself. He said something after a while when we approached it and then looked distant again.

"It's Carlisle's," he said, opening the door for me. I looked shocked. He was inviting me into his car? I got in quickly, trying to hide my happiness.

"Pardon?" I asked.

"Carlisle. Our 'father'," Jasper said, getting in and turning the car on. I smiled again and then remembered Bella saying something about him. I tried to block her from my mind.

"I see," I said, not able to push the fact that a vampire was sitting next to me from my mind.

He was quiet, and I think that he was trying to make me feel as comfortable as possible.

"Where are we going?" I asked him. My nerves were receding for now.

"Back to your house," he said quietly.

"No! Please! I don't want to go back there. I need some time away from her," I said, referring to Bella. He nodded, but smiled.

"And you'd rather stay in the car with- someone _like_ me?" he asked, pulling over to the side of the street. He sat there almost looking a little angry. I didn't know why other than the fact that he was a bloodthirsty vampire- I hadn't spoken more than two words to him before I ran in to him by the forest.

"Yes," I whispered. "But it's alright," I assured him abruptly and opened my door when he stopped. "I should go," I said and got out. He just nodded in the dark of his car and drove off. He didn't look happy.

Okay, what had just happened? Was any of this significant? I chased away the annoying thoughts and opened the door to the house, bracing myself. As I walked in, I shut the door behind me and smiled. Charlie still wasn't home.

I walked up the stairs, and as I turned the corner, a flash of light erupted from of the window. I hated lightning. I loved storms, but lightning always made me flinch.

I closed my eyes from the surprise of the light, and as I opened them, I gasped.

As if he had appeared there only milliseconds before I opened them, Edward stared into me- and he didn't look happy.


	4. Let's Not Point Fingers

Edward dragged me the rest of the way upstairs and into Bella's room, and as I looked around for her- I found out that she wasn't there. Okay, so I had been alone with a vampire before, but not with Edward. He was far more intimidating- especially when he looked like he did at this particular moment.

"Are you utterly and completely insane?" was the first thing that came from Edward's mouth. He was not happy- and it sounded as if he was growling- literally. It sounding like some kind of animal.

"Not that I know of," I said simply, trying not to say too much. At this point, anything and everything would be used against me.

"Oh yes- yes you are! I know that Bella has faith in the fact that you won't tell anyone about our secret, but quite frankly, I don't. I don't trust you at all right now," he ranted. The strange thing was that he didn't seem angry about the whole secret and me knowing thing as much as he was about something else. Vampires are so hard to read.

"Where's Bella?" I asked, avoiding digging myself into a deeper hole by arguing with the undead.

"Bella is out with Charlie looking for you. He came home from work while you were _out_," Edward told me. He crossed his arms, and my stomach fell through the floor.

"Wait, you mean Uncle Charlie knows that I snuck out…?" I asked, my freedom already coming to an end. Edward nodded in response, and eye closed my eyes for a while, plopping onto my bed. This was so unfair. I couldn't help that I had persuasive- not to mention persuasive- thoughts in my head that made me sneak out of the house! Now Charlie would think I was some kind of delinquent or something.

I heard a car pull into the driveway, and I could hear my heart rate quicken. After hearing the door open soon after, I almost had a heart attack. This would be terrible.

"Nora!" I heard Charlie call. I got up and shivered, looking at Edward as I walked out.

"Thanks. You're really great," I lashed out at him, not waiting for a reaction. I walked down the stairs like it was my last and looked into the eyes of Uncle Charlie. He did _not_ look pleased. Bella was next to him, but she wasn't looking at me.

"I know this is your first day here, Nora, but you've disappointed me today. Never sneak out like you did tonight again, okay? You scared Bella, and you certainly scared me. What I really want to know is… where you went," Charlie said, not raising his voice. He simply tried to get down to the root of everything.

"I was-"I started, startled after hearing someone else's voice.

"In the backyard. She was outside on the back porch. I found her after Bella left with you. We forgot to check there, Chief Swan," Edward said, milking as much persuasion as he could from his voice. He was entirely convincing.

"Is that true, Bells? You forgot to check outside?" Uncle Charlie asked, turning around to face her. My mind was going crazy. Was Edward saving my freedom? This was unexpected…

Edward looked at Bella and nodded while Charlie was facing her.

"Yeah. It didn't cross my mind, I guess. I'm sorry to cause so much trouble," Bella said, walking over to give Charlie a hug. He hugged her back and then walked over to hug me.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, Nora. Really, I am. I hope you don't think that I'm entirely terrible," Uncle Charlie said, and smiled at me reassuringly.

"I totally don't. It's okay. You know, I think I'm gonna get some sleep. It's been a long day…," I said quietly, and hugged Uncle Charlie. There was too much hugging going on around here. He nodded, and I turned around, walking upstairs. I passed Edward a thankful glance, but I was still angry that he didn't trust me.

"_**Tomorrow, then?" **_

Oh, heck no. I was not listening to this guy again. He'd gotten me into so much trouble already.

_Are you serious? You nearly got me grounded or whatever. _

"**_Yeah, but we can meet in the day tomorrow. There aren't any rules against that are there? Besides, I know you want to meet me." _**

_Yeah. I'm like- so totally sad because I can't wait to see someone who's not real. _

"_**Aw, don't be cruel to me. Really… I want to meat you. You're not like the other girl's around here." **_

_You can say that again. Most of the other girl's around here don't have there own personal insanity to converse with. Please go away now, okay? _

"**_Look, give me one more chance. Just one. If you're not happy, I'll stop bothering you, and you can start going about your boring, goody-two-shoe's life once more." _**

_Hey, I am not a goody-two-shoe. And I'm also not boring! _

"_**Prove it, babe."**_

By this time I was already upstairs, changed, and in my bed under the covers. Deep inside of me, I knew this guy was real. It scared the living death out of me, but I just knew it had to be true. I was way too inactive to think up something like this. Then again, this was how people got abducted. This was how people were never heard from or seen again. My heart told me that I was overexaggerating, though, but my heart was usually wrong.

_I'll just surprise you. I'll be there if I'm there. Wait, where exactly is 'there'? _

"_**The woods by the high school on the other side of town. It's about three miles away from where you are now." **_

_Whatever. _

"_**Night."**_

Would I go? Probably not. Was I going to tell him that…? No! I shut my eyes and fell asleep, missing Mom. My dreams tormented me.

**Note: I am so sorry that this chapter was as short as it was. I kind of forgot about this story and remembered it just now! Please don't hate me, readers! I love all of your reviews by the way. Please review more. : )**


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